Jeremiah johnson



.l. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22.1918.

' 1,304,778. v Patented May27,1919.

, rails 1 and 1'.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH JOHNSON; or PORT oorisonnn, on'rAnIo, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN oonTnoL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH JOHNSON, of the town of Port Colborne, in the county of Welland,- in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train Controls, of which the. following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic train controls and the object of the invention is to devise means for automatically stopping a train before reaching a track opening such as is formed by an open switch or by an open swing bridge and it consists essentially of the following arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1, is a plan view showing a portion of a railway track and my device applied thereto.

. Fig. 2, is a perspective detail of the circuit opening switch used inconnection with my device. s i

In the drawings like characters of refer.- ence indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

1 indicates the main line formed by the 2 and 3 indicate switch points leading to a siding and operated in the usual manner by a connecting switch bar 4 extending beneath the rails 1 and 1 of the main line, which bar is connected in the usual manner to the switch stand 5 which is provided with the usual operating lever 5". The switch points in the drawing are shown in the closed position. I

6 ind'cates a pivoted arm of suitable con ducting material mounted upon one of the ties 1 of the railway line. Thearm 6 passes through an eye 4* carried by the bar 4:. 7

indicates a contact strip which bridges a recess formed in the side of the tie 1 the intermediate portion of the contact strip 7 being curved downward at 7 to form a de pending loop. When the switch is in the closed position as shown in the drawing the free end of the pivoted arm 6 rests in con-- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May Application filed July 22, 1918 Serial N 0. 246,125.

strips-13 and 14in alinement with the contact pieces 8 and 9. .15 indicates theshaft which operates the pneumatic brake mechanism of the train. 15 indicates a: crown wheelcarried by theshaft 15. 16 indicates a motor alsocarried by the engine and provided with a pinion 16 mounted upon its shaft in engagement with the crown wheel 15 17 indicates a battery, one terminal of which is connected by a wire 18 to one terminal of the motor 16 and the other terminal by a wire 19 to the contact strip 13. The contact strip 14 is connected by a wire 20 to the other terminal ofgthe motor. Interposed in the wire 20 is a manually operated switch 20* by which the circuit may be manually opened if desired.

en a train is passing over'the switch points 2 and 3 of the siding the switch will, of course, be in the closed position and when in this position the arm 6 is in contact with the strip 7 as above described. If another train should approach the switch before the switch is again opened the contact strips 13 and 14 carried by the'engine when=c0n-' tacting-with thestrlps 8 and9 will close a circuit which passes from one terminalof the battery throughthe wire 19 to the strip 13, fromthence to thestrip .8 by wire 11 to the arm 6 in contact-with the strip 7 and from the strip 7 by the wirelO to the contact piece 9 to the contact stripfl l connected by thejwire 20 to one terminal of the motor 16 then through the motor to the wire 18 leading to the other terminal of the battery. By this means the motor will be operated and the brake mechanism set to stop the train. Y

When the switch is thrown to the open position so that the main line would be open the arm 6 is automatically carried by the opening of the switch over the recess portion 7 of thestrip. 7 thereby breaking the contact, and, therefore; breaking the circuit above described for operating the brake mechanism of 'the train, allowing the train upon the main line to pass through and pass the switch without interruption.

When it is desired to pass atrain on to the siding the circuit may be opened manually by the switch 20 on the engine when the engineer knows that the switch is closed,

and that it is free forhim to pass on to the siding.

Although I have shown a switch as the means whereby the track may be opened and.

' inoperative as desired.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple device whereby trains may be automatically stopped when an opening is formed in the main line either by an open switch or by an open swing bridge .or by any othermeans so as to prevent collisions between a train passing on to the siding and a train which is intended to pass directly along the main line and also means which will prevent wrecks caused by leaving open a swing bridge and also prevent wrecks occurring by leaving a switch closed at the time when the passage of a fast train over the main line is due.

' hat I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a railway track adapted to be opened and closed, a pair of contacts located between the rails, a stationary contact located adjacent to the switch, a circuit wire connecting the stationary contact with one of the contacts between the rails, a circuit wire connecting a movable contact with the other contact between the rails, means for carrying the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact by the closing of the switch and out of contact by the opening of the switch, an air brake 'me'chanism, an operating motor therefor, and means carried by the engine co-acting with the contact strips between the rails for closing the circuit through the motor, and means for energizing the circuit.

2. The combination with a railway track adapted to be opened and closed, a pair of contacts located between the rails, a stationary contact located adjacent to the switch, a circuit wire connecting the stationary contact with one of the contacts between the rails, a circuit wire connecting the mov- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for able contact with the other contact between the rails, means for carrying the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact by the closing of the switch and out of contact by the opening of the switch, an air brake mechanism, an operating motor therefor, a pair of contact strips carried by the engin adapted to contact with the contact strips between the rails, a circuit Wire connecting one contact strip with one terminal of the motor, a circuit wire connecting the other contact strip with the otherterminal of the motor, andmeans for energizing the circuit.

3. The combination with railway track adapted to be opened and closed, a pair of contacts located between the rails, a stationary contact located adjacent to the switch, a circuit wire connecting the stationary contact with one of the contacts between the rails, a circuit wire connecting a movable contact with the other contact between the rails, means for carrying the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact by the closing of the switch and out of contact by the opening of the switch, an air brake mechanism, an operating motor therefor, means carried by the en gine co-acting with the contact strips between the rails for closing the circuit through the motor, means for energizing the circuit, and manual means located in the engine for breaking a circuit leading to the motor.

4. The combination with a pair of contact plates adapted to be located between the rails of a track, circuit wires leading from each contact plate and a circuit opening switch located in one of the wires, of a pair of contact strips carried by the engine adapted to contact with the contact strips between the rails, a circuit wire extending from one of the contact strips, a circuit wire extending from the other contact strip, a motor, to the terminals of which the aforesaid wires are connected, an air brake shaft, means operated by the rotation of the motor for operating the air brake shaft, and means for energizing the circuit.

JEREMIAH JOHNSON. lVitnesses M. EGAN, N. CARTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

